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Yes, so lets fast forward... as it happens in the movies... the camera points towards the sky.. darkness falls and soon the sun rises...
"Good Morning Ashley", RK said at about 7 AM in the morning. I tried to get up, but could not. So what was wrong, i wondered. 2 things. Firstly, Adrian had a game against Canada. It was at 1:00 AM Pacific time. So I had woken up and watched the game and then slept. That means, instead of taking rest, I was watching Hockey. Secondly and most importantly, the elephant was hurt. Elephant = ME. Last evening, when i tried to save a single i ran a little too quickly and a sudden motion seems to have hurt my knee. So I was unable to run and even climb stairs. The pain still persists now. At this juncture, I would like to please reiterate that this is NO reason for my batting failure. The pain in my knee is genuine and I will not use it as an alibi for my horrendous failure.
Ok, so it was a problem to get my ass of the bed. Somehow i did get up. It was already 7:30 now. The game was to begin at 8:30. And yea, the drive was about 40 mins. So we were running pretty close to getting late.
I packed all my stuff, the laptop, tees, tracks into my bag and took it along. So we were off, heading to the ground for a pre-quarter final. I had thought long and hard in the night, about my failure. What mistakes I was making. How could I get back to earlier times. I did my analysis and was ready to make a bigger impact. The analysis was as follows. I was trying too hard. I was trying to hit the ball out of the park everytime. Giving no respect to the ball. My footwork was also not upto the mark. I should have come on the front foot to play the shots. Ok, So there I was. All set for the big game. This is when 1 thought crossed my mind.
"I was palying such a trivial match. It was not of a serious concern to any one of us. it was just a time pass game. But there was pressure on me. Just 2 failures and there was pressure. then i thought about Adrian. he has played over 120 games for India. Every time he must be going to sleep there must be so much of pressure. I cant even imagine the pressure before a India-Pakistan game. And him being a goal-keeper, things get even bigger. He is always in the limelight. Cameras are always on him. So here, ill take a moment to raise a toast for my dear brother. Bro, I always knew playing proffesionally is a tough task, but today after a long time ive realised its a taks of unimaginable pressure and expectations. I am so proud of you, you have given your sweat, blood and tears for the game and country. You are a real Hero. That Shahrukh Khan can only make money and sleep to glory. It is people like you, the soldiers of this country, who are the real heroes. God Bless you and people who strive to bring glory to our country, day in and day out."
Ok, so we were on our way to the game. We picked another 3 friends and headed to the ground. today the ground was another one. we reached there, the ground was different, but the conditions were the same. Chilly and Unbearable for me!!!
So i did a small jog. Suddenly i realised my captain, Laxman had 2 friends who were in tracks and getting ready to play the game. Now, this was interesting. So the toss happened, we were going to field again. I went to the dug out to keep my cellphone. RK came behind me.
"Ashley, there is a slight problem. We have 12 players and either you or me will have to sit." To be frank, I was not surprised. I kind of expected it. The team had added me as a batsman and if I was unable to make runs I was of no use. So I was dropped. I sat in the dug out cheering my team. The guys bowled really well to restrict the opposite team to just 56 runs. The score was similar to the chase we performed against Infosys. So how did it go?
Did Ashley not being there make any difference?
Did the team benefit from the 2 new players whom the captain had called for?
More answers and results in the next round!!
Till Den, good nite and cya!
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Cricket..not my cup of team anymore?
Well Well Well, lets jst see what has happened today. 2 matches, 1 catch dropped, 1 first ball duck and one run in the second match. So my batting average is 0.5. My catching average is -1 and I was of absolutely no help to my team. Add to the fact that I was the opening batsman and brought the pressure on the team thanks to my spectacular batting, things look even worse.
But, for all those who dont know about me and cricket, things were not always this bad. I am sure some of my friends can vouch that I was a pretty decent cricketer. Batsman to be precise. My childhood days in 'Ganga' Bldg and 'Mithchowki' were good starts. The best was my cricketing days in my engineering college. As a student of second year of engg, I one handedly took my team past the defending champions, the Final Year Mechanical batch!!!
It is easily my most cherished cricketing moment.
But things have changed. After moving to Pune, playing cricket was rare. And once i moved out from Ganga Bldg, it was over. No cricket. But when my friend RK asked me to play in the cricket tournament here I was excited. It was something I liked to do.
So there I was woke up at 7:20 AM, after a 'Friday Nite' party at home. We had like 4 large pegs of Chivas Regal + Black Label. Got up, packed my stuff and was all set to leave. RK came and picked me up and zoom, we were off to Glendale. A suburb about 15 miles from downtown LA. The scenery was awesome. A sight to behold. The ground was in the moutains. Surrounded with a lush green view on all the sides, the 9:30 AM match was gonna start in conditions ive never played cricket in. The temperature must have been below 15 degrees celcius. But what was even tough was the cold breeze blowing in the mountain area. Did a small warm up, I mean i ran onto the ground. Thats it!!! :D
The game started, we were bowling first. We had a gr8 set of bowlers. They restricted 'Infosys' to 55 in about 14 overs. it was a 20 over game.
Laxman, our captain asked me and Ravi to open. So there I was, just 55 to chase at an asking rate of less than 3. What a time to get settled and practice. But what happens next is funny and disgraceful at the same time.
Ravi takes a smart single of the first ball. I am on strike. My mind does a zillion calculations. I check the field again and again and store the gaps in my head. The bowler approaches. All hell breaks loose, stupid Ashley goes to hit a SIX of the first ball and CAUGHT BEHIND. ZILCH!!!!
What a come back i must say!!! Team mates are shocked. RK had told them Ashley is a good batsman!!! Nice joke RK.... I make the long walk back to the dug out. Sit quitely in the corner. Soon i realise team is 12 for 6. Wow, thanks for the positive start Ashley. 22 for 7. Btw, I just forgot to mention, we played a player short. So we had only 9 wickets to give!!!
Then Jagan started the revival. He and Kartik had a good 8th wicket stand. Things got interesting. We were now about 18 runs short, when Kartik was out. Last wicket. Can we do it.....
Yes we could, Shashank and Jagan got us through it. It was an exciting match. A very good experience after a long time.
The next match was at 4:30 PM. We had grub at Quizznoz, which now is my favorite Sub joint.
Came for the game. It was against a team, which happens to be one of the better teams. They made a good 120 odd runs.
Yours sincerely was out to open again. This time no FIRST BALL DUCK I thought. Played with a straight bat. Defended well. Second ball one run. Third ball, defended well again. Fourth ball, all hell breaks loose again, 2wice in one day!!!! ASHLEY goes for a big hit, caught about 15 metres inside the boundary wall. Just a single run. Made the long long really long walk back.
We lost the game. But we had good fun. Cheering our tail-enders. A real good fun time. Then ate good Indian food at Rasthal. Now its time to focus on tomorrow mornings game. If we win we are through to the quarters. If we lose, it may goto runrate and we might lose that race.
What I want to do tomo is show that I am not that bad a cricketer!! Lets hope and wait for the best.
I should know whether or not I should retire from the sport or not tomo!!!
Adios.
Ashley
But, for all those who dont know about me and cricket, things were not always this bad. I am sure some of my friends can vouch that I was a pretty decent cricketer. Batsman to be precise. My childhood days in 'Ganga' Bldg and 'Mithchowki' were good starts. The best was my cricketing days in my engineering college. As a student of second year of engg, I one handedly took my team past the defending champions, the Final Year Mechanical batch!!!
It is easily my most cherished cricketing moment.
But things have changed. After moving to Pune, playing cricket was rare. And once i moved out from Ganga Bldg, it was over. No cricket. But when my friend RK asked me to play in the cricket tournament here I was excited. It was something I liked to do.
So there I was woke up at 7:20 AM, after a 'Friday Nite' party at home. We had like 4 large pegs of Chivas Regal + Black Label. Got up, packed my stuff and was all set to leave. RK came and picked me up and zoom, we were off to Glendale. A suburb about 15 miles from downtown LA. The scenery was awesome. A sight to behold. The ground was in the moutains. Surrounded with a lush green view on all the sides, the 9:30 AM match was gonna start in conditions ive never played cricket in. The temperature must have been below 15 degrees celcius. But what was even tough was the cold breeze blowing in the mountain area. Did a small warm up, I mean i ran onto the ground. Thats it!!! :D
The game started, we were bowling first. We had a gr8 set of bowlers. They restricted 'Infosys' to 55 in about 14 overs. it was a 20 over game.
Laxman, our captain asked me and Ravi to open. So there I was, just 55 to chase at an asking rate of less than 3. What a time to get settled and practice. But what happens next is funny and disgraceful at the same time.
Ravi takes a smart single of the first ball. I am on strike. My mind does a zillion calculations. I check the field again and again and store the gaps in my head. The bowler approaches. All hell breaks loose, stupid Ashley goes to hit a SIX of the first ball and CAUGHT BEHIND. ZILCH!!!!
What a come back i must say!!! Team mates are shocked. RK had told them Ashley is a good batsman!!! Nice joke RK.... I make the long walk back to the dug out. Sit quitely in the corner. Soon i realise team is 12 for 6. Wow, thanks for the positive start Ashley. 22 for 7. Btw, I just forgot to mention, we played a player short. So we had only 9 wickets to give!!!
Then Jagan started the revival. He and Kartik had a good 8th wicket stand. Things got interesting. We were now about 18 runs short, when Kartik was out. Last wicket. Can we do it.....
Yes we could, Shashank and Jagan got us through it. It was an exciting match. A very good experience after a long time.
The next match was at 4:30 PM. We had grub at Quizznoz, which now is my favorite Sub joint.
Came for the game. It was against a team, which happens to be one of the better teams. They made a good 120 odd runs.
Yours sincerely was out to open again. This time no FIRST BALL DUCK I thought. Played with a straight bat. Defended well. Second ball one run. Third ball, defended well again. Fourth ball, all hell breaks loose again, 2wice in one day!!!! ASHLEY goes for a big hit, caught about 15 metres inside the boundary wall. Just a single run. Made the long long really long walk back.
We lost the game. But we had good fun. Cheering our tail-enders. A real good fun time. Then ate good Indian food at Rasthal. Now its time to focus on tomorrow mornings game. If we win we are through to the quarters. If we lose, it may goto runrate and we might lose that race.
What I want to do tomo is show that I am not that bad a cricketer!! Lets hope and wait for the best.
I should know whether or not I should retire from the sport or not tomo!!!
Adios.
Ashley
Friday, May 9, 2008
Redefine Rediff... puhlz..
Rediff.com and Indiatimes.com are the most common websites that I visit, to update myself about things happening back home. I suppose much like Yahoo and Google in the global market, they too make their strategies based one each others progress and initiatives.
But, over a period of time, REDIFF has absolutely lost the plot. Following the footsteps of many other over-hyped and Zilch news reporting agencies, they just copy+paste stuff from some other source and modify the headlines to attract consumers. What hurts the most is that, almost everytime the headline has a religious/sex/racial overtone to it. Dear Rediff, If you cannot market yourself well and cannot publish/report your own stories, i understand. Your incapability is sympathized with. But please dont use cheap and stupid tactics to make readers read the news you so balantly modify and publish. If I were an agency you took information/news from and modified the headlines for you own bloody benefit, I would sue the very lasy penny from you.
You buggers, like most other countrymen, just want to use someone else's hardwork, add your supposed flavor, which most of the time is offending and fake and scream loudly that you have achieved something.
Lets take a small example. Today rediff has a story which goes with the headline 'Religious concerns take beef off British Airways' menu'. Now I travel British Airways sometimes, and was curious. What has happened that BA had to take this step. Was there any mishap, or its plain pleasing to a particular community. I clicked on the link and read the entire article.
While reading the story I came across the following line too..
"It has nothing to do with the fear of causing offence -- we always offer alternative meals for people with special dietary requirements if they order in advance," the spokesperson said, adding, "We are still serving beef-based meals on certain menus in First Class and Club World and are currently deciding on whether or not to use beef on the menus for World Traveller customers for the winter season."
Now can someone please explain to me, why has rediff such a distracting headline when the spokesperson clearly states the opposite. Is there something which i have not read or failed to understand in the article. Why bring the religious sentiments into the picture. Why not agree that beef prices have sky rocketed and hence the change. REDIFF, just shutdown the server and go home! Stop the crap reporting you guys do now-a-days.....
Ok, let me check for some other fake, crap stories published on rediff.. just a sec... going to the stupid site again....
Ok found one stupid one.. 'Akshay: Getting a PhD better than an Oscar' Now, firstly, I wonder if Akshay has used the same words as mentioned in the headline. If he has then I have 2 questions. One, a normal person can do a sensible comparison only between things he has felt/known/understood. Akshay is a good actor, but we all know he will NEVER EVER win an Oscar award. So how come he can say that getting that fake Phd is better than an Oscar. I can be proven wrong if Oscar is the name of his dog and for Akshay getting this Phd was better than getting the puppy??? weird eh? Rediff has started to make me think like a crazy nut too....
But yes, I did not have the patience to read the entire 75 minute interview and I dont really care. What I do know is that rediff has lost its plot somewhere. The management or whatever is running the website needs to do some serious introspection and understand that using hatred against the west, using religious gimmicks, using fake sexual/racial discriminating headlines will not really work. Yea may be we will check the site, but once we read the article and realise that rediff has basically fooled us into reading it, we pray for the closure of the website and end of the torture you guys are giving us.
Dear Rediff Editor, please go and read some better website. My blogs, though totally amateurish, are real and not fake like ur headlines. You can sleep with a better conscience like me, rather than faking and sleeping like a bum.
Adios!
P.S: My fav site is www.cnn.com!!!
But, over a period of time, REDIFF has absolutely lost the plot. Following the footsteps of many other over-hyped and Zilch news reporting agencies, they just copy+paste stuff from some other source and modify the headlines to attract consumers. What hurts the most is that, almost everytime the headline has a religious/sex/racial overtone to it. Dear Rediff, If you cannot market yourself well and cannot publish/report your own stories, i understand. Your incapability is sympathized with. But please dont use cheap and stupid tactics to make readers read the news you so balantly modify and publish. If I were an agency you took information/news from and modified the headlines for you own bloody benefit, I would sue the very lasy penny from you.
You buggers, like most other countrymen, just want to use someone else's hardwork, add your supposed flavor, which most of the time is offending and fake and scream loudly that you have achieved something.
Lets take a small example. Today rediff has a story which goes with the headline 'Religious concerns take beef off British Airways' menu'. Now I travel British Airways sometimes, and was curious. What has happened that BA had to take this step. Was there any mishap, or its plain pleasing to a particular community. I clicked on the link and read the entire article.
While reading the story I came across the following line too..
"It has nothing to do with the fear of causing offence -- we always offer alternative meals for people with special dietary requirements if they order in advance," the spokesperson said, adding, "We are still serving beef-based meals on certain menus in First Class and Club World and are currently deciding on whether or not to use beef on the menus for World Traveller customers for the winter season."
Now can someone please explain to me, why has rediff such a distracting headline when the spokesperson clearly states the opposite. Is there something which i have not read or failed to understand in the article. Why bring the religious sentiments into the picture. Why not agree that beef prices have sky rocketed and hence the change. REDIFF, just shutdown the server and go home! Stop the crap reporting you guys do now-a-days.....
Ok, let me check for some other fake, crap stories published on rediff.. just a sec... going to the stupid site again....
Ok found one stupid one.. 'Akshay: Getting a PhD better than an Oscar' Now, firstly, I wonder if Akshay has used the same words as mentioned in the headline. If he has then I have 2 questions. One, a normal person can do a sensible comparison only between things he has felt/known/understood. Akshay is a good actor, but we all know he will NEVER EVER win an Oscar award. So how come he can say that getting that fake Phd is better than an Oscar. I can be proven wrong if Oscar is the name of his dog and for Akshay getting this Phd was better than getting the puppy??? weird eh? Rediff has started to make me think like a crazy nut too....
But yes, I did not have the patience to read the entire 75 minute interview and I dont really care. What I do know is that rediff has lost its plot somewhere. The management or whatever is running the website needs to do some serious introspection and understand that using hatred against the west, using religious gimmicks, using fake sexual/racial discriminating headlines will not really work. Yea may be we will check the site, but once we read the article and realise that rediff has basically fooled us into reading it, we pray for the closure of the website and end of the torture you guys are giving us.
Dear Rediff Editor, please go and read some better website. My blogs, though totally amateurish, are real and not fake like ur headlines. You can sleep with a better conscience like me, rather than faking and sleeping like a bum.
Adios!
P.S: My fav site is www.cnn.com!!!
Thursday, May 8, 2008
What cooking eh?
Cooking is the best way to pass time! No No, its not something i proclaim or follow, but it is something my past flatmates have always said to me. Luckily for me, until now, ive never found it necessary to set up a full fletched kitchen at my on-the-move home. Of course for more than 22 years i was previledged to eat lovely home cooked food. But then things changed, I moved to Pune and home food was now only for 3 days a week. Still not bad, huh! For 3 years or so, that I stayed in Pune, the only thing i ever cooked was MAGGI!! yes, the 2 minute magic. I never made anything else in that kitchen in Pune. Only Maggi. Of course I was not on a maggi diet for 3 years. Some other places where i regularly ate from were Swad in Aundh, my home tiffin wala in Baner and a few restaurants here and there.
Then comes Malaysia. Exotic eh! Not really, when it comes to food, Malaysia is harder to survive than Pune. In Malaysia, the tamil food house at Cyberia was out fav huntdown. Roti Tulur, aka Egg Paratha was my fav for quite sometime. Once i got bored, moved to plain Masala Dosa. Once i got bored with that, moved to Egg fried rice(thanks to prasanna). And yes, the lunch time meal was fixed. Rice+Sambar+Baby Corn Fry(if available) else Chicken dish. I had this meal for almost 4 months. But it was fun. Malaysia thought me one thing. Dont try and act too smart. It will come to haunt you. Poor Prasanna and Me once went for Dinner. I heard the word Goreng many times in Malaysia, but never knew what it meant, or what was it made from. Prasanna was hungry(as always). I ordered safe, 1 plan dosa... Prasanna said he would eat a Maggi. Yours Sincerely, added.. "Aare Prasanna.. eat Maggi Goreng man, it is nice". FYI, I had never even seen Maggi Goreng till that moment. The sweet fellow that Prasanna is, he said YES. Maggi Goreng came, Prasanna almost puked. I was happily enjoin my Dosa. I said "Prasanna, why are you not eating?" With a very confused look he told me.. "Dude, it does not taste good and smells worse". How worse could Maggi be? I could not believe he was making fuss of Maggi Goreng. Btw, this Maggi Goreng, looked pretty normal. It has a blackish colour, which i presumed was because of the Soya Sauce. it had pieces of meat in it. Of course the vegetables were sprinkled all over. So kewl, isnt it. I was like, "Dude... come on.. dont be fussy.. eat the chicken atleast" It looks good. In the meanwhile, I ordered another Plain Dosa!!!
Prasanna stared at his plate, looked and me and ate one small tiny piece. He almost puked again. I did not bother. My Hot dosa came, i hogged it. Prasanna had not eaten anything.
Then the smart me came forward. "Buddy, how bad can this be" I got the plate closer to me and almost threw the entite Dosa into the Maggi Goreng plate!! It was ..... yuck!!!!
Poor Prasanna, he now ordered for 1 plain dosa. I paid for my 2 dosa's and the maggi goreng which i almost forced my dear friend to eat!!!!
It is funny that sometimes, we expect others to do things we presume are simple and easy. Only if we stepped into their shoes, or pulled their plated towards us and had a look!!!
More about the cooking stories in my next blog!!
Adios Amigos!
Then comes Malaysia. Exotic eh! Not really, when it comes to food, Malaysia is harder to survive than Pune. In Malaysia, the tamil food house at Cyberia was out fav huntdown. Roti Tulur, aka Egg Paratha was my fav for quite sometime. Once i got bored, moved to plain Masala Dosa. Once i got bored with that, moved to Egg fried rice(thanks to prasanna). And yes, the lunch time meal was fixed. Rice+Sambar+Baby Corn Fry(if available) else Chicken dish. I had this meal for almost 4 months. But it was fun. Malaysia thought me one thing. Dont try and act too smart. It will come to haunt you. Poor Prasanna and Me once went for Dinner. I heard the word Goreng many times in Malaysia, but never knew what it meant, or what was it made from. Prasanna was hungry(as always). I ordered safe, 1 plan dosa... Prasanna said he would eat a Maggi. Yours Sincerely, added.. "Aare Prasanna.. eat Maggi Goreng man, it is nice". FYI, I had never even seen Maggi Goreng till that moment. The sweet fellow that Prasanna is, he said YES. Maggi Goreng came, Prasanna almost puked. I was happily enjoin my Dosa. I said "Prasanna, why are you not eating?" With a very confused look he told me.. "Dude, it does not taste good and smells worse". How worse could Maggi be? I could not believe he was making fuss of Maggi Goreng. Btw, this Maggi Goreng, looked pretty normal. It has a blackish colour, which i presumed was because of the Soya Sauce. it had pieces of meat in it. Of course the vegetables were sprinkled all over. So kewl, isnt it. I was like, "Dude... come on.. dont be fussy.. eat the chicken atleast" It looks good. In the meanwhile, I ordered another Plain Dosa!!!
Prasanna stared at his plate, looked and me and ate one small tiny piece. He almost puked again. I did not bother. My Hot dosa came, i hogged it. Prasanna had not eaten anything.
Then the smart me came forward. "Buddy, how bad can this be" I got the plate closer to me and almost threw the entite Dosa into the Maggi Goreng plate!! It was ..... yuck!!!!
Poor Prasanna, he now ordered for 1 plain dosa. I paid for my 2 dosa's and the maggi goreng which i almost forced my dear friend to eat!!!!
It is funny that sometimes, we expect others to do things we presume are simple and easy. Only if we stepped into their shoes, or pulled their plated towards us and had a look!!!
More about the cooking stories in my next blog!!
Adios Amigos!
Monday, April 21, 2008
So what is love?
So, what is love? Hmmmm... interesting topic eh....
Well, quite a topic for sure. For me, Love is a feeling of oneness, a feeling that i really care for you, a feeling that I can go that extra mile to make you feel good or smile.
Well, as per the above definition there are just about 4 people I really really love. And yea, they all happen to be my close family. My dear Mom and Dad, my loving brother and my soulmate, lourdes.
I love them too much to even tell them, that I cant live without them. Everyday, when i rise, I thank God for the wonderful day and thank him for giving me 4 wonderful people whom I can talk to and share my thoughts with. The funniest thing about the 'L' feeling is that sometimes you can easily say that sweet word, whereas sometimes, you cant say it, but there is a unseen connection that conveys this emotion.
My brother Adrian and I have not spent a whole lot of time together. He always had his set of friends and I had mine. The he got busy with his hockey career and left home for an independent life. Time passed and soon I left home for my job. And suddenly, it is almost 10 years since we have spent like 1 month together at home or even together.
But, if there is one person for whom I can goto any lengths in this whole wide world, it is Shanu. And I am sure, even he feels the same way. Unbelievable, but we dont even speak very often. And when we are at home the talking is even more rare. But deep inside there is this connection, an invisible cord, a strong power that binds us together. This is love. We dont speak much, we dont share much time, but yes, we love each other more than anything.
On the other hand, I have my dear Lourdes. I speak to her twice a day. Once in the morning and once in the evening. We dont discuss the whole world, but just an update of what is happening, what is cooking, how was the day and whats new? I tell her that I love her atleast 15 times a day. She is a sweetheart. I cannot imagine living without her. She makes me complete. I make sure I call her and convery my feeling everyday. Else, my day would not be complete. Here i love the person and luckily i can express my feelings too.
Isnt it wonderful, that how the same feeling is expressed in 2 very different and opposite ways. The ingredients of the LOVE receipe are the same, but the way the dish is served is absolutely different. Life could not be any sweeter for me right now. The only reason for this is my 4 loved ones. Thank you guys, I miss you every second that I breathe!!
Love and Regards,
Ashu
Well, quite a topic for sure. For me, Love is a feeling of oneness, a feeling that i really care for you, a feeling that I can go that extra mile to make you feel good or smile.
Well, as per the above definition there are just about 4 people I really really love. And yea, they all happen to be my close family. My dear Mom and Dad, my loving brother and my soulmate, lourdes.
I love them too much to even tell them, that I cant live without them. Everyday, when i rise, I thank God for the wonderful day and thank him for giving me 4 wonderful people whom I can talk to and share my thoughts with. The funniest thing about the 'L' feeling is that sometimes you can easily say that sweet word, whereas sometimes, you cant say it, but there is a unseen connection that conveys this emotion.
My brother Adrian and I have not spent a whole lot of time together. He always had his set of friends and I had mine. The he got busy with his hockey career and left home for an independent life. Time passed and soon I left home for my job. And suddenly, it is almost 10 years since we have spent like 1 month together at home or even together.
But, if there is one person for whom I can goto any lengths in this whole wide world, it is Shanu. And I am sure, even he feels the same way. Unbelievable, but we dont even speak very often. And when we are at home the talking is even more rare. But deep inside there is this connection, an invisible cord, a strong power that binds us together. This is love. We dont speak much, we dont share much time, but yes, we love each other more than anything.
On the other hand, I have my dear Lourdes. I speak to her twice a day. Once in the morning and once in the evening. We dont discuss the whole world, but just an update of what is happening, what is cooking, how was the day and whats new? I tell her that I love her atleast 15 times a day. She is a sweetheart. I cannot imagine living without her. She makes me complete. I make sure I call her and convery my feeling everyday. Else, my day would not be complete. Here i love the person and luckily i can express my feelings too.
Isnt it wonderful, that how the same feeling is expressed in 2 very different and opposite ways. The ingredients of the LOVE receipe are the same, but the way the dish is served is absolutely different. Life could not be any sweeter for me right now. The only reason for this is my 4 loved ones. Thank you guys, I miss you every second that I breathe!!
Love and Regards,
Ashu
Patience is the Key...
Life is the best teacher there is! Every second, every minute, every day it teaches us a valuable lesson. It is upto us whether we are smart enough to absorb that and put it to best use.
For me, my biggest problem has been my temper. I lose it at the slightest hint of an irritation. Let that be someone digging their nose, or someone chatting loudly on the phone. My dad always told me to learn and have a control on my temper. He has been saying this since i was 10. When playing cricket in the compound I would be screaming at other kids and my dad did not like it one bit.
Days passed, months and now years. Still, the fool that i am, I have not changed. If anything, I think I have become more worse. Sometimes, I happen to throw someone else's anger on someone else. And more often than not, it my dear Lourdes who is in the firing line.
But I plan to change. I want to change. I want people to see the difference. I am very impulsive. I have lost many a friends to my stupid temper. Sumeet, my best pal for many years, is the biggest loss in my life. We have spent the best of times together. But one stupid mistake by me, changed everything. Even today i regret that day, but I cant change anything. I cant go back.
All I can do is hope that things between Sumeet and Me become the same way they always were. He is one sweet friend.
But what I can do, is improve from today. I need to understand that the best way to overcome any tough situation is to keep quiet. Let the moment pass. Let the heat cool. It makes no sense to shout and hurt people. All you will end up doing is losing respect and one good friend. I have lost many friends. I almost lost another good friend, Ravi yesterday. But I have been blessed to have friends like Ravi and Sumeet, who keep quiet, listen to my crap and still approach me.
I thank God for friends like them. I also hope that God gives me the sense to be calm, composed and more patient when dealing with my dear friends.
So here I go, trying to be calm and sober. Lets see how this goes.
Cheers,
Ashley
For me, my biggest problem has been my temper. I lose it at the slightest hint of an irritation. Let that be someone digging their nose, or someone chatting loudly on the phone. My dad always told me to learn and have a control on my temper. He has been saying this since i was 10. When playing cricket in the compound I would be screaming at other kids and my dad did not like it one bit.
Days passed, months and now years. Still, the fool that i am, I have not changed. If anything, I think I have become more worse. Sometimes, I happen to throw someone else's anger on someone else. And more often than not, it my dear Lourdes who is in the firing line.
But I plan to change. I want to change. I want people to see the difference. I am very impulsive. I have lost many a friends to my stupid temper. Sumeet, my best pal for many years, is the biggest loss in my life. We have spent the best of times together. But one stupid mistake by me, changed everything. Even today i regret that day, but I cant change anything. I cant go back.
All I can do is hope that things between Sumeet and Me become the same way they always were. He is one sweet friend.
But what I can do, is improve from today. I need to understand that the best way to overcome any tough situation is to keep quiet. Let the moment pass. Let the heat cool. It makes no sense to shout and hurt people. All you will end up doing is losing respect and one good friend. I have lost many friends. I almost lost another good friend, Ravi yesterday. But I have been blessed to have friends like Ravi and Sumeet, who keep quiet, listen to my crap and still approach me.
I thank God for friends like them. I also hope that God gives me the sense to be calm, composed and more patient when dealing with my dear friends.
So here I go, trying to be calm and sober. Lets see how this goes.
Cheers,
Ashley
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Dear Moral Police, are u sleeping?
Yes, So every year we have a drama session. This is held by the so-called moral police of the city. The Shiv Sena and its gang of goons. They rip posters, tear cards, hit the youth and do all sorts of natak just to generate cheap publicity for their flagging party fortunes. So the VALENTINES day bash, as these sainiks must be calling it, comes and goes, they enjoi the limelight. In the news, all over the papers.. wow!!! good job done...
And then we move on. Lets analyze what these goons are protesting against. 1. Is it the western influence? 2.Do they own a card selling brand which competes with Archies/Hallmark? 3. Are they plain jobless and idle?
Doesnt really matter does it? The goons repeat the same thing over and over and over again.. The authority which is supposed to safe guard the common man is a mute spectator (as always). Ask Mr.Amitabh Bhachan. Even he could not do anything regarding the bottle throwing incident at his residence. What can we humble souls do? Just take the beating... (yea, you can also leave the crap to rot there... )
So now, my point is, other than V-Day, dont these goons ever do something which is not freaking Indian??? Lets see.....
1. My recent surfing tells me that one Mr.V Mallya has got some hot chicks from the USofA to cheer his team. It seems these gals were in Mumbai recently. They were cheering for the Bangalore team. But i am sure these goons and useless fellows were enjoing that. No western influence here brother. They must have even molested a few gals if given a chance. Seriously, they can do that.... Doesn't common sense tell you that they should have disrupted the game, beat the bangalore team and sent those gals back? yes, that is what they should have done, what they did do is enjoy the view and wanked their dicks out...
2. The molesting incident on New year (2008), happened. Some goons from a nearby locality were pulled up. What happens next, the goons come and defend these other friendly goons... voila!!! Of course they are all brothers in the crime... No surprise there....
In comparison, so many principals.doctors are beaten just the hint of a crime. Many a times these professionals are innocent and just victims of some personal rivalry. But those desperate, sex-hungry goons get support from the political goons.. wow!!
3. If you guys are so against the western culture, please do me one more small favor. One small rule to be implemented. If (Caste = Goon type) please cancel/tear/burn/bury the PASSPORT. Cause anyways, you dont need the western influence. So you dont need that booklet do you???
But so many of these goons and fellow goons travel to the western country. Where is the culture then?? Speak up u filthy goon???
4. Why did you guys not burn Mr.Sachin's Ferrari? Isnt it from a western country whose influence is bad??? does it not hurt the sales of the Maruti(which is half Japanese anyways).
5. Half or more of the festivals celebrated are a pain. Noise pollution , Air pollution, Water pollution, Harresement of common man, Illegal structures being raised and other crap. And all you morons can think of is clamping and hitting people during V day.
Shame on you bloody hypocrites. Go and find yourselves a better thing to do. May be do what Shawn Michaels would have told you to do...
SUCK IT!!!
Adios Amigos...
And then we move on. Lets analyze what these goons are protesting against. 1. Is it the western influence? 2.Do they own a card selling brand which competes with Archies/Hallmark? 3. Are they plain jobless and idle?
Doesnt really matter does it? The goons repeat the same thing over and over and over again.. The authority which is supposed to safe guard the common man is a mute spectator (as always). Ask Mr.Amitabh Bhachan. Even he could not do anything regarding the bottle throwing incident at his residence. What can we humble souls do? Just take the beating... (yea, you can also leave the crap to rot there... )
So now, my point is, other than V-Day, dont these goons ever do something which is not freaking Indian??? Lets see.....
1. My recent surfing tells me that one Mr.V Mallya has got some hot chicks from the USofA to cheer his team. It seems these gals were in Mumbai recently. They were cheering for the Bangalore team. But i am sure these goons and useless fellows were enjoing that. No western influence here brother. They must have even molested a few gals if given a chance. Seriously, they can do that.... Doesn't common sense tell you that they should have disrupted the game, beat the bangalore team and sent those gals back? yes, that is what they should have done, what they did do is enjoy the view and wanked their dicks out...
2. The molesting incident on New year (2008), happened. Some goons from a nearby locality were pulled up. What happens next, the goons come and defend these other friendly goons... voila!!! Of course they are all brothers in the crime... No surprise there....
In comparison, so many principals.doctors are beaten just the hint of a crime. Many a times these professionals are innocent and just victims of some personal rivalry. But those desperate, sex-hungry goons get support from the political goons.. wow!!
3. If you guys are so against the western culture, please do me one more small favor. One small rule to be implemented. If (Caste = Goon type) please cancel/tear/burn/bury the PASSPORT. Cause anyways, you dont need the western influence. So you dont need that booklet do you???
But so many of these goons and fellow goons travel to the western country. Where is the culture then?? Speak up u filthy goon???
4. Why did you guys not burn Mr.Sachin's Ferrari? Isnt it from a western country whose influence is bad??? does it not hurt the sales of the Maruti(which is half Japanese anyways).
5. Half or more of the festivals celebrated are a pain. Noise pollution , Air pollution, Water pollution, Harresement of common man, Illegal structures being raised and other crap. And all you morons can think of is clamping and hitting people during V day.
Shame on you bloody hypocrites. Go and find yourselves a better thing to do. May be do what Shawn Michaels would have told you to do...
SUCK IT!!!
Adios Amigos...
Playoff Time
Things change, and they do change for the better...
I was a huge Iverson fan during his Philly days... to add to the spice then, Adrian liked Duncan and the Spurs. So we would wake at 6 AM and watch NBA at home. NBA was not something even remotely popular then. A very few people, ardent basketball fans used to watch it.
But those days were awesome. I got my first desktop and we got the NBA 2000 game from EA Sports. And man-o-man, Adrian and I used to play it all the time. He was busy with his hockey career and me with studies, but we always made time for a NBA game. It rocked. We have had so many fights. I lost most of the time. One fight was so bad that i un-installed the game. :)
But those moments are unforgettable.
today i am the land of the NBA. The playoffs have just begun and I watched almost all the 4 games completely. It was a day of non-stop NBA action. Tomo there will be more NBA and my fav, Pistons get going too..
Today, Adrian is in Australia for a India tour. I am at the other end of the world. And my dear Mom and Dad are in Bombay. Just a few years back, all four would be in the same dining room, AD and Me playing NBA and Mom and Dad watching TV.
I really miss those days. I miss you guys.
The NBA reminds me of those good ole days....
I was a huge Iverson fan during his Philly days... to add to the spice then, Adrian liked Duncan and the Spurs. So we would wake at 6 AM and watch NBA at home. NBA was not something even remotely popular then. A very few people, ardent basketball fans used to watch it.
But those days were awesome. I got my first desktop and we got the NBA 2000 game from EA Sports. And man-o-man, Adrian and I used to play it all the time. He was busy with his hockey career and me with studies, but we always made time for a NBA game. It rocked. We have had so many fights. I lost most of the time. One fight was so bad that i un-installed the game. :)
But those moments are unforgettable.
today i am the land of the NBA. The playoffs have just begun and I watched almost all the 4 games completely. It was a day of non-stop NBA action. Tomo there will be more NBA and my fav, Pistons get going too..
Today, Adrian is in Australia for a India tour. I am at the other end of the world. And my dear Mom and Dad are in Bombay. Just a few years back, all four would be in the same dining room, AD and Me playing NBA and Mom and Dad watching TV.
I really miss those days. I miss you guys.
The NBA reminds me of those good ole days....
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Media that sucks....
Unfortunately, I have to read the papers, because i look for some new about hockey. But thanks to the wonderful print media, that covers all the sports events, i feel fck*@ frustrated and mind fck$%. All these guys can cover is bloody cricket. From the first page to the bloody freaking last page there is cricket. Do these correspondents get some emotional/physical pleasure doing this.
Yesterday, the Indian hockey team was announced. I opened the E-PAPER and they dont hv a single mention. How crazy is that? And these guys create a hoolah when the players fail to perform. Yea rite, no work. All they want is to criticize and slam someone down. Come on u guys, get a life. I mean, does not one single correspondent from your company follow the poor hockey souls. Those guys are playing for pure passion.
On the other hand, our beloved cricketers, who are totally distracted by the IPL give 2 hoots for the country. They lost the 2nd match so tamely and i can bet my ba*&% they will not win the 3rd test. Does anyone raise a question? Where is the morality? Where is the commitment? where is the passion? Bull shit passion...
Dont give those crap stories to me.... the cricketers are a bunch of guys, who just wanna make moolah. They dont care about the country. All they play for is the BCCI. give them cash and they will kiss ur as& too.... serious man...
Anyways, read through the entire crap filled, shit smelling, dirt-rag looking paper.. no mention of hockey.
Thanks TIMES,
Get out and FO...
We dont need crap papers... id rather use it in the toilet....
cheers!!
Yesterday, the Indian hockey team was announced. I opened the E-PAPER and they dont hv a single mention. How crazy is that? And these guys create a hoolah when the players fail to perform. Yea rite, no work. All they want is to criticize and slam someone down. Come on u guys, get a life. I mean, does not one single correspondent from your company follow the poor hockey souls. Those guys are playing for pure passion.
On the other hand, our beloved cricketers, who are totally distracted by the IPL give 2 hoots for the country. They lost the 2nd match so tamely and i can bet my ba*&% they will not win the 3rd test. Does anyone raise a question? Where is the morality? Where is the commitment? where is the passion? Bull shit passion...
Dont give those crap stories to me.... the cricketers are a bunch of guys, who just wanna make moolah. They dont care about the country. All they play for is the BCCI. give them cash and they will kiss ur as& too.... serious man...
Anyways, read through the entire crap filled, shit smelling, dirt-rag looking paper.. no mention of hockey.
Thanks TIMES,
Get out and FO...
We dont need crap papers... id rather use it in the toilet....
cheers!!
Finally I Am Thru...
Hard work pays off.. that is an old saying! Today, I can truly believe it does. I took a risk, a chance and today i find myself a zillion times more happy than I would have been. Many people dont want to come out of their shell. Their comfort zone as some people prefer calling it. Its all about priorities as they would say.
I got my priorities right, and took a giant step to the land of oppurtunities. The start was chilly(literally), but as time passed by i weathered the (snow) storm.
I had my highs and my lows. Sometimes, the lows outnumbered my highs. But I knew, that i would make it through. I had worked hard for freaking 4 years. Learn and Understand the system and then use my skills here.
But from Monday, i start a new begining. Its a beginning of a huge proportion. I am glad i have made it through.
I know i have the capabilities to reach new heights and achieve my goals.
Cheers,
Ashley
I got my priorities right, and took a giant step to the land of oppurtunities. The start was chilly(literally), but as time passed by i weathered the (snow) storm.
I had my highs and my lows. Sometimes, the lows outnumbered my highs. But I knew, that i would make it through. I had worked hard for freaking 4 years. Learn and Understand the system and then use my skills here.
But from Monday, i start a new begining. Its a beginning of a huge proportion. I am glad i have made it through.
I know i have the capabilities to reach new heights and achieve my goals.
Cheers,
Ashley
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